Spark-arrester.



P. C. SACCAGGIO & F. A. LAGRANGE.

SPARK ARHESTER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 2| I917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

FIEJ- Patehted Apr. 30, 1918.

P. C. SACCAGGIO & F. A. LAGRANGE.

SPARK ARRESTER.

-APPLlCATlON FILED OCT. 2, 1917.

1L %$%@65Q Patented Apr. 30,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. C. SACCAGGlO 81' F. A. LAGRANGE, I

SPARK ARRESTElR. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 2, I917- ]Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- PEDRO GELESTINO SACCAGGIO AND FEDERICO ALEJANDRO LAGRANGE, OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA.

SPARK-ARRESTER.

menses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3Q, 1918.

Application filed October 2, 1917. Serial No 194,424.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PEDRO CnLE-s'rINo SAocAcoro and Fnnnmoo ALEJANDRO LA- GRANGE, Italian subject and Argentine citizen, respectively, residing at Buenos Aires, (whose post-office address is Oalle Cangallo No. 876, Buenos Aires,) Argentine Republic, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in and Relating to Spark-Arresters; and we do hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to spark arresters for use with steam locomotive, or stationary, engines to prevent the scattering of hot cinders, and in particular to spark arresters of the kind in which a cylindrical or other suitably shaped screen of wire mesh or perforated metal is rotatably mounted immediately below and'with its upper end in communication with the inner or intake end of the funnel or outlet for the gases of combustion and exhaust steam, the blast pipe delivering exhaust steam into the lower end of the said screen,

The present invention has for its principal object improved means for rotating the spark arrester by means of the exhaust steam from the blast pipe, or the blower steam, such means, consisting of vanes, blades or the like on which the steam acts so as to revolve the spark arrester, being situated mainly or wholly in the lower part of the arreste-r close (preferably as near as pos sible) to the upper end or steam outlet orifice of the blast pipe so that the steam acts upon the said vanes or blades immediately it leaves the blast pipe or blower nozzle.

Further according to this invention, the propelling blades or vanes, set at the required angle or having the required pitch are so formed 0r arranged that the steam, acting on such blades or vanes is not deflected or spread outwardly beyond the screen. In one construction according to this invention the said blades (a suitable number of which may be provided) are so arranged that they slope inwardly from their outer or lower ends toward the center of rotary screen, and have their upper or inner ends rigidly secured to the central tubular hearing sleeve which is rotatably mounted (as heretofore) on a vertical depending shaft the upper end of which is fixed to a suitable support carried by the lower end of the petticoat pipe or chimney, the lower or outer ends of the said blades being secured to the bottom annular plate or ring of the framework which carries the wire mesh screen.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention:-

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a locomotive smokebox showing a spark arrester according to one embodiment of this invention with the wire mesh screen removed from the rotary framework of the arrester.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the spark arrester, showing the smokebox in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the spark arrester, drawn to 'a larger scale.

Fig. at is a plan view showing the propeller blades in the lower part of the arrester and the radial struts hereinafter referred to.

Like numbers refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawings Referring to the drawings, 1 is the smokebox shell, 2 is the smokebox tube plate, carrying the ends of small smoke-tubes 2*, 3 is the door of said smokebox, 4 is the chimney having the usual elongation or petticoat pipe 4 attached thereto, 5 is the blast pipe and 6 the blower connection. 7 is a casting having radial arms '7 for instance four, the outer extremities of which are a loose fit in the petticoat pipe 4. as shown. These outer extremities are provided with bosses 8 which are tapped to receive tap bolts or set screws 9 for securing the said casting 7 to'the petticoat pipe 4P. Through the center of the casting 7 is a vertical shaft 10 secured to said casting by nut 11 screwed on to the upper end of shaft 10. 12 is a casing or collar on the upper end of the central bearing stem or sleeve 13 which forms part of or is rigidly connected with the rotatably mounted framework of the spark arrester, the said bearing stem or sleeve inclosing and being rotatable about the vertical shaft 10. Suitable antifriction bearings (ball bearings or the like) are preferably provided between the bearing stem or sleeve 13 and the shaft 10. F or instance a ball bearing may be provided between the casing or collar 12 and the upper end of the shaft 10 and another ball hearing may be provided between the casing 12 and the lower part of the shaft 10. The casings 12 and 12" may be screwed respectively on to the upper and lower ends of the bearing member or sleeve 13. A somewhat similar arrangement of vertical shaft, with bearing stem or sleeve and ball bearings has heretofore been provided in rotary spark arresters, as will be seen by reference to the prior specification of the United States Patent toSaccaggio and Lagrange, No. 1,125,727, dated January 19, 1915. 1 1 is an angle ring with the cylindrical portion upstanding at the inner periphery of the horizontally disposed portion and entering the petticoat pipe t. 15 is an annular plate or ring, the inner periphery of which surrounds the upper part of the blower connection 6, as shown so that the arrester is free to revolve. The upper angle ring 14 and the lower fiat ring 15 are connected at intervals by a number of vertical rods or stays 16 for instance six, the ends of said rods or stays 16 being arranged near the outer periphery of the upper and lower rings 14: and 15 to which they are suitably secured for instance by welding. At intervals between the upper and lower rings 14 and 15, suitable rings or hoops 17 are secured to the verticalrods or stays 16 by any known means, for instance by welding. It will thus be seen that the framework of the arrester is formed by means of the upper and lower rings 11, 15, the hoops 17 and the vertical rods 16, around which a screen of wire mesh or perforated metal 18 is placed and suitably secured.

As shown in the drawings the relative diameters of the upper angle ring 14 and the lower ring 15 are such that the screen tapers downwardly, but if desired the screen may be cylindrical. 19 20 and 21 are the propelling arms or blades which are fixed at their outer or lower ends to the lower ring 15 of the arrester framework and at their upper or inner ends are fixed to the lower part of the central bearing sleeve 13, for instance by being welded thereto, or in any other suitable manner. There may be any suitable number of such propelling blades but three are usually suflicient and the blades are equidistant-1y spaced as shown. These blades are preferably fiat metal bars and are directed downwardly from the hearing sleeve 18 to the lower ring of the framework 15 either in a straight line or in an arc. Preferably each propelling blade leads downwardly in an arc struck from acenter below the bearing sleeve 13 and lies wholly in a plane inclined to the horizontal but if desired a portion of its lOWer end may be in a vertical plane. The plane in which a blade or the main portion 01 a blade lies is also so inclined that the center line of a blade at its root lies in a dili'crent plane radially of the arrester to that in which the center line of the blade at its tip lies.

The number of the above-mentioned equidistantly spaced vertical rods or stays 16 ot the framework is preferably such that the outer or lower end portions of the blades, 19, 20 and 21, and the lower end of a correspondingly situated rod may be brought together as shown at and connected to one another by any known means, for instance by welding, and the blades being provided with the above-mentioned vertically (lisposed end portions 23 as shown these portions may be welded throughout their length to the lower portions of the respective vertical rods, that is between the points 21- and as shown. The propelling blades 19, 20 and 21 may be 01 equal width throughout their length or they may gradually narrow from their upper ends to their lower ends. As shown these blades are somewhat wider at their upper or inner ends than at their outer-lower-ends.

26, 27 and 28 are upper radial stays or struts which are, as shown, arranged out 01 vertical alinemeut with the propellingblades 1.9, 90, 21, these struts being preterablv disposed in radial planes intermediate between the radial planes in which the propelling blades lie. 'l hese radial stays are. as showii, tla't metal bars fixed at their ends respec tively to the central bearing sleeve 12. as at 29, and to the upper angle ring 11- as at 30. for instance by being welded thereto. and said bars Q6, 27 and 28 are, as shown. in clined to the horizontal and also main and preferably do. slope from their point of attachment to the bearing sleeve 12' upwardlv to the said angle ring 1 1. 'lhese stays or struts,instezul ot being lint bars or blades as shown,-mav have some other suitable form in moss-section, for instance triangular.

The lower edges of the stays or struts 2c, 27 and 2S and the lower edges of the propelling blades 19, 20 and 21 are tormed as knife edges as shown at 31 and the stavs or struts 26, 27 and 28 are arranged at such an angle to the horizontal that when the arrester is revolving they offer a minimum oi resistance to the upwardly moving current of steam and those dust like fragments of cinder and ash which enter the screen and are carried upward therein by the draft induced by the blast or blower steam.

As shown in the drawings the propelling blades 19, 20 and 21 are. as to the greater acts on the said blades immediately it is discharged and before any material reduction in its driving force takes place, thus insuring a proper rotation of the screen at a high peripheral velocity.

Lubrication for the central shaft 10 and the ball hearings in ball race 1.2 is provided from the lubricator box and by pipe connection 33.

Having described the construction of the apparatus according to this invention, it will be seen that steam issuing from the blast pipe 5 or from the blower connection 6 will strike the proptdling blades 19, 20 and 21 and, owing to the angle at which these blades are set will cause the arrester to revolve at a high speed so that particles of ash and cinder drawn through the smoketubes 2* will strike the rapidly revolving screen 18, be broken up thereon and will fall to the bottom of the sinokebox. Any small particles of cinder or ash that may be carried through the wire screen will. be thrown out of the chimney ff. by the upwardly moving current of steam in the form of dead ashes and any danger as to ignition therefrom is eliminated. The mesh of the screen 18 is made according to requirements of each special case.

it will be understood incline and width of the 19, 20, and 21, should be that the pitch or nropellmg blades, made according to the peripheral speed at which the arrester I is to work, a higher peripheral speed being desirable where the fuel employed is soft coal, wood, peat or like relatively soft fuel than in the case of hard coal or other relatively hard fuel.

The propelling blades, vanes or the like of the spark arrester, according to this in vention, being situated close to the top or outlet of the blast pipe, and blower, are consequently acted upon by clean steam immediately escaping from the blast pipe, or blower, with the result that these blades are to a great extent, if not entirely, freed from the sand blast action of cinders and other hard or relatively hard particles entering through the screen of the arrester and carried up by the escaping steam.

In the construction shown, it will be seen that the propelling blades, 19, 20, 21, serve also as radial stays or struts for the lower part of the arr-ester framework.

hat we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a spark arrester, the combination, with a smoke-box outlet pipe, of a vertical shaft secured on the axis of the said pipe, asleeve journaled on the said shaft, a skeleton supporting frame, a tubular screen secured to the said frame, and inclined propelling blades extending downwardly and outwardly from the said sleeve at the middle part of the said screen and having their lower ends secured to the said frame at the lower end of the screen and operating to support and revolve the said frame, screen and sleeve.

2. In a spark arrester, the con'ibination, with a smoke-box outlet pipe, of a vertical shaft secured on the axis of the said pipe, a sleeve iournaled on the said shaft, a skeleton supporting frame, a tubular screen secured to the said frame, inclined propelling blades extending downwardly and out-v wardly from the said sleeve at the middle part of the screen and having their lower ends secured to the said frame at the lower end of the screen and operating to support and revolve the said frame, and stays eX- tending between the said frame and sleeve in the upper part of the screen above the propelling blades.

Signed at Buenos Aires, Republic of Argentina, this twenty-seventh day of Novemher, A. D. 1917.

PEDRO CELESTINO SACOAGGIO. FEDERICO ALEJANDRO LAGRANGE. lVitnesses F. l/VALKER, H. V. HUNTINGTON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

